Ohio surgeon E. Christopher Ellison, MD, FACS, is new President-Elect of the American College of Surgeons

CHICAGO: E. Christopher Ellison, MD, FACS, an esteemed general surgeon from Columbus, Ohio, has been elected to serve as the 2021–2022 President-Elect of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). Dr. Ellison’s election was announced October 27 at the conclusion of the virtual ACS Clinical Congress 2021. He will be installed for a one-year term as ACS President in October 2022 during the Convocation ceremony that will be a highlight of the next ACS Clinical Congress.

Dr. Ellison is the Robert M. Zollinger Professor of Surgery Emeritus at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus. He recently served as the George W. Paulson MD Medical Heritage Center Scholar-in-Residence for a two-year term, and Dr. Ellison was previously the president and CEO of The Ohio State University Physicians Practice Plan, an organization of which he was also a founding member.

Career highlights

A graduate of the Medical College of Wisconsin (1976), Dr. Ellison has spent nearly his entire career at Ohio State, beginning with a general surgery residency, which he completed in 1983. He entered community practice in Columbus between 1987-1993 before returning to Ohio State, where he has since remained. He led the division of general surgery and served for six years as director of the general surgery residency program. He was named chair of the department of surgery in 2000. During this time, he oversaw the expansion of the department and the creation of multidisciplinary basic science and clinical research programs.

While serving as program director in general surgery, Dr. Ellison helped build the diversity and inclusion of the program, which remains a benchmark for diversity at Ohio State. With the help of key faculty, he co-led the reestablishment of the Masters of Medical Science program, which was originally conceived by Robert M. Zollinger, Sr., MD, FACS, in the 1950s. This program has provided a foundation for Ohio State to successfully prepare the next generation of surgeon scientists.

As Practice Plan CEO and interim dean of the College of Medicine at Ohio State, Dr. Ellison worked with the admissions team to help make The Ohio State University College of Medicine a leading institution for opportunities for underrepresented minority students in medical education. He also helped build the research portfolio and provide a sound economic foundation for the College of Medicine.

Editorial accomplishments

Dr. Ellison has published more than 160 peer-reviewed articles. His primary research interest is Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome. He is principal author with Robert M. Zollinger, Jr., MD, FACS, of the 10th Edition of Zollinger’s Atlas of Surgical Operations and an associate editor of Fischer’s Mastery of Surgery, 7th Edition. He is considered an authority on surgical workforce issues and co-author of The Coming Shortage of Surgeons. Dr. Ellison has served as associate editor and editorial board member of the American Journal of Surgery and is currently Deputy Editor of the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

Decades of ACS service and leadership

Dr. Ellison became a Fellow of the ACS in 1986 and his service to the College has been exemplary throughout his busy career. He was a member of the ACS Board of Governors (1997-2003), President of the Ohio Chapter of the ACS (2003-2004), Chair of the Advisory Council for General Surgery (2013-2015), Chair, Advisory Council Chairs (2013-2015), and most recently, Chair of the ACS Foundation Board of Directors (2019-2021). He has also been a member of many other ACS committees and workgroups. Dr. Ellison is a member of the ACS Academy of Master Surgeon Educators, and his current professional focus is on the education and operative coaching of surgical residents.

During his time as President of the ACS Ohio Chapter, Dr. Ellison contributed to advocacy efforts in the state to achieve tort reform and, in collaboration with the leadership of Robert E. Falcone, MD, FACS, helped establish a state trauma system. Dr. Ellison has said one of the most rewarding experiences of his career was when he was elected as an ACS representative to the American Board of Surgery (ABS) in 2003.

Other honors and awards

Dr. Ellison has served as president of the American Surgical Association (2018-2019) in addition to numerous other positions within other organizations and professional societies. Among his many awards and recognitions are The Ohio State University Distinguished Service Award (2020), The Ohio State University College of Medicine Professor of the Year (1999), and The Ohio State University College of Medicine Landacre Society Honorary Award (1998). In addition, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Award (2021) from the Medical College of Wisconsin.

The other ACS officers-elect for 2021-2022 are:

First Vice-President-Elect

Mary E. Fallat, MD, FACS, FAAP, professor of surgery at the University of Louisville and director of surgical quality at Norton Children’s Hospital where she has been in practice for 35 years, is First Vice-President-Elect. Dr. Fallat has a long history of service and leadership in pediatric surgery and trauma. She has been the Chair of the Pediatric Surgery Advisory Council and a member of the Committee on Trauma, where she continues to serve in a liaison role. She is one of the Vice-Chairs of the Verification Committee for the ACS Children’s Surgery Verification Program and has a long history of SESAP participation.

Mary E. Fallat, MD, FACS, FAAP, professor of surgery at the University of Louisville and director of surgical quality at Norton Children’s Hospital where she has been in practice for 35 years, is First Vice-President-Elect. Dr. Fallat has a long history of service and leadership in pediatric surgery and trauma. She has been the Chair of the Pediatric Surgery Advisory Council and a member of the Committee on Trauma, where she continues to serve in a liaison role. She is one of the Vice-Chairs of the Verification Committee for the ACS Children’s Surgery Verification Program and has a long history of SESAP participation.

Second Vice-President-Elect

Anne G. Rizzo, MD, FACS, a trauma, critical care, and general surgeon, in Sayre, Pennsylvania at the Guthrie Clinic, is elected as the ACS Second Vice-President-Elect. She is also board certified in hospice and palliative medicine. She is presently the system surgical chair and president of surgical services for the Guthrie Clinic System. Her military service spans 27 years in the Air Force and Air Force Reserve with tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq. While on active duty in 2011, she contributed to the U.S. Surgeon General’s assessment report of the U.S. military’s joint theater system. She has served in ACS leadership capacities, including Co-Chair of the Military Health System Strategic Partnership Group at its formation in 2015, and on the Executive Committee as the Education Pillar lead for the Board of Governors. She has also served as Chair of the Surgical Critical Care, Trauma and Burns Board for the American Board of Surgery.

Editor’s note: Photos of all officers-elect are available upon request from the ACS Office of Public Information.

About E. Christopher Ellison, MD, FACS

Dr. Ellison is a second-generation academic surgeon. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1972 and his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1976. He went on to complete a residency in general surgery at The Ohio State University, after which he was a Surgical Gastroenterology Research Fellow at Ohio State. He was in community practice in Columbus between 1987-1993 before returning to Ohio State, where he has remained throughout his career. At Ohio State, he led the division of general surgery, served as director of the general surgery residency program, and served as chair of the department of surgery and interim Dean of the College of Medicine (2014-2016). He is the Robert M. Zollinger Professor of Surgery Emeritus at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, and most recently served a two-year term as the George W. Paulson MD Medical Heritage Center Scholar-in-Residence. He was previously the president and CEO of The Ohio State University Physicians Practice Plan, an organization of which he was also a founding member.

About the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has approximately 90,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. "FACS" designates that a surgeon is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

Contact

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